Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-04
THE TRUNK TRAGEDY,
CAPT. UNGER CONrtSsES TO KILL
ING HIS GERMAN FRIEND.
But Claims IL was Done in Self Defence
The Hammer Buried % the Handle in
the Victims Skull-1he Severed
Head Dropped from Ferry Boat

New YORK, Jan. 30.-Capt. Edward
Cnger, the reported murderer of August
Boil, whose body was found last week in
trunk shipped to Baltimore, has made a
full confession of the crime. Unger was
arrested Thursday and since that time has
been constantly watched by detectives
and various efforts were made to make
him confess. The trunk with the body
arrived from Baltimore Saturday. The
body was sent to the Morgue. That night
Byrnes went to Uuger's cell and asked
him how he felt Pretty WE'LL" said he
huskily. Then the inspector unlocked the
cell door and Detective Hickey called
Cnger into the corridor where lights were
burned low. The prisoner stepped forth
but did not see the inspector until the lat
ter called him by name. AS he turned he
saw Byrnes standing and pointing at the
trunk which held Bohl's dead body.
Uuger staggered at the sight and tottered
toward the cell. Byrnes then took from
the trunk piece of the murdered mans
coat which had been used to wrap
the body and holding 1t before the
prisoners eyes asked him where the
rest of Bohl's coat was. Unger shudder-
ed at the sight of the blood stiffeued
garment and clasplng his hands over his
eyes, was about to fall when detective
Hickey caught him and seated him upon
a couch in the corridor. Suddenly and
with a startled groan he sprang to his
feet and changed his seat. The sofa on
which he had been seated was the one
found in his room after his arrest
Unger's face became ghastly pale and
when assisted to his cell he was almost
in fainting condition.
La nj OF la6
and said he wanted Ito tell the whole
truth about the business" In August
BOIL first came to see him, he said at his
saloon at "A Eldridge street in answer to
an advertisement for a partner. They fail
ed to agree on the terms and later Unger
gave up his saloon and moved to 22 Ridge
street. Boil came 10 live with him there.
On the evening of January 90 1887, while
Cnger's son Edward was out he met
BOIL who was very powerful man, and
who swore at his bad luck and called I'm
ger vile name. Unger replied, he says,
and put out his hand to shove Boil away.
BOIL Knocked him down and seixing a
knife from the table chased him into the
bed room. There Udger "pcked up a
hammer from the chest under the bed"
and MS BOIL lunged at him with the knife
struck BOIL, staggering him. He struck
Boil second time, sinking the hammer
in his skull up to the handle. BOIL fell
back on the sofa dead TO conceal the
body from his son who might return at
at any, moment, Unger placed the body
and covered it with Bohl's sleeping cot
and some clothes con Friday, January
q, | bought two yards of rubber cloth
and a butchers saw and got back to the
house at a. III. spread the rubber cloth
on the floor and laid the body upon it. /
then started to cut him up. first cut the
head from the body and then laid it aside
and wrapped it in paper and part of
his clothing. then cut both legs off and
! think, the left arm close to the shoulder
I then took Bohl's trunk. The trunk was
too short and cut off the feet and put
them in the trunk then put the body
on top of the legs, | think, and the arm
on top of the body. took part of the
clothes of the deceased and some paper
wiped the floor with them and then put
them on top of the body in the trunk. |
locked the trunk and dashed it with rope
and then left my house after cleaning up
the blood the best i could, and taking the
head under my arm which was then
wrapped up in clothing belonging to Boil
and also some newspapers, | went to the
Grand street ferry, went in the forward
part Of The ferry boat, leaned over the
front rail looked into the water and
when the boat got midway into the river
dropped the head and clothing INTO the
water"
Unger tells of how the same night he
took the trunk to the Grand street sa-
loon with the assistance of an Italian he
picked up on the street and left it there
over night. Next day he had it taken to
Henry Benzes saloon in Brooklyn and
from there shipped it to Balt-
more. In conclusion Unger says II
did not mean to kill the deceased He was
quarrelsome man and | believed my life
was in danger when | struck MIN The
manner in which disposed of the body
was so as to save myself and family from
disgrace" All the facts stated by Unger
have been corroborated and he will be ar
rGigned in the tombs police court to NOR
row morning